Heretofore, films and windows have existed for partially blocking infrared light that has a wavelength of from about 2.5 micrometers to about 750 nm. Such films and windows however are generally only effective in blocking infrared having a wavelength of 1,500 nm and greater. While vacuum deposition and sputter coating of various compounds were somewhat effective in blocking infrared light having a wavelength of 900 nm and longer, these processes are very costly.
The following patents generally relate to various infrared blocking windows or films.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,206 relates to a reportedly visually transparent, color corrected, infrared reflecting films for solar heat control. The films employ Fabry-Perot sandwich interference filters which are characterized by having three or more transparent layers of sputter-deposited metal such as silver directly contiguous with dielectric spacer layers and optionally boundary layers. Methods for producing these materials by sputtering techniques as well as glazing materials incorporating these films are also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,621 relates to a window unit that has at least one pane, of which is coated with a transparent conductive polymer layer that is reportedly reflective and absorptive in an infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, transparent in the visible region of the spectrum, and has a transparency ratio greater than 2.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,511 relates to a composition for reportedly forming a near infrared screening filter, which comprises a binder (i), a metal oxide or inorganic oxide powder (ii) having a light transmittance ratio (transmittance of light with a wavelength of 550 nm/transmittance of light with a wavelength of 1180 nm) of at least 3, and a dye (iii) having a light transmittance ratio (transmittance of light with a wavelength of 550 nm/transmittance of light with a wavelength of from 740 to 930 nm) of at least 2.7, as essential components.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,528,156 relates to an infrared cut-off layer containing an ITO powder formed on one surface of a base film, to reportedly form an infrared cut-off film. The ITO powder has a minimum value of a diffused-reflection-functional logarithm, logf(Rd), at a light wavelength of 470 nm or lower, which logarithm is measured on the basis of the following equation, f(Rd)=(1−Rd)2/2Rd=α/S (Rd: a relative reflectance to a standard sample, α: an absorption coefficient, S: a scattering coefficient, formulated for a diffused reflection light, and the minimum value of −0.1 or less. There is reportedly provided an infrared cut-off film having a hue of blue.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,650,478 relates to an optical filter in the form of a film which reportedly can be used in a window to control the amount of absorbed light, reflected light, transmitted light and solar energy rejection. The optical filter contains a combination of an interfering Fabry-Perot stack and a massive Fabry-Perot stack.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,797,384 relates to an automotive glazing panel containing a polycarbonate substrate having a coating system reportedly including an inner layer blocking IR and overlying coating material blocking UV radiation and providing a scratch resistant outer coating layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,797,396 relates to a birefringent dielectric multilayer film that reportedly reflects in a wavelength region of interest, and preferably reflects at least 50% of light in a band at least 100 nm wide, preferably positioned between wavelengths from about 700 nm to about 2000 nm. The film is heat set to render the film capable of shrinking to conform without substantial wrinkling to a substrate having a compound curvature. The film may be laminated to form a wide variety of non-planar articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,911,254 relates to laminates having interlayers reportedly containing an infrared absorbing amount of lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) coated on or dispersed in a thermoplastic polymeric matrix. Preferably, the LaB6 is combined with other materials, such as indium tin oxide, antimony tin oxide, organic dyes or pigments in a polymeric matrix of polyvinyl butyral (PVB). Alternatively, LaB6 is coated on a sheet of polyethylene terephthalate and encapsulated with one or more sheets of PVB. The interlayers having LaB6 dispersed therein or coated thereon are combined with encapsulation layers, reflective layers, dyed layers and/or pigmented layers.
U.S. Publication 20040071957 relates to a reportedly heat radiation shielding component dispersion containing fine hexaboride particles and a polymer type dispersant in which the fine hexaboride particles are dispersed. The polymer type dispersant is mixed in the fine hexaboride particles in a proportion of from 0.3 part by weight or more to less than 50 parts by weight based on 1 part by weight of the fine hexaboride particles, and the dispersion does substantially not contain any organic solvent. A process for preparing the heat radiation shielding component dispersion is characterized by adding the polymer type dispersant to a dispersion in which fine hexaboride particles have been dispersed in an organic solvent, in a mixing proportion of from 0.3 part by weight or more to less than 50 parts by weight based on 1 part by weight of the fine hexaboride particles, and thereafter removing the organic solvent.
International Publication WO 0007042 relates to a solar control window film reportedly having high visible light transmission and low transmission of near infrared heat energy comprised of a transparent substrate bearing a thin, optically transparent layer of metal, an optically transparent layer of near infrared energy absorbing material and a transparent layer of protective material overlying and protecting the near infrared energy absorbing material and the metal. The near infrared reflecting properties and the near infrared absorbing properties of the respective layers are balanced to provide selective solar heat rejection without excessive transfer of heat into the window glass or glazing material.
European Patent EP 1008564 relates to a solution for forming a film reportedly having a high transmittance and a low reflectivity for visible light, a low transmittance for near infrared radiation, and a surface resistivity of at least 10<6> ohms/square. It contains fine particles of a hexaboride of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Sr or Ca, and fine particles of ITO or ATO in a weight ratio of from 0.1:99.9 to 90:10. Also disclosed is a film formed on at least one side of a resin film as a base, for cutting off solar heat radiation.